The day after Thanksgiving, we worked off our local feast—mashed potatoes from the Fluharty potato patch and Colin the chicken—by taking down a few trees on our property. Now, before you get all environmental, let me please remind you that I founded the Historic Ritchie Recycling Club in the late eighties, which at a sweet young age of 9 or 10 I kindly forced my wonderful neighbors to separate their trash and newly understood recyclables. They generously abided and I still love them to this day for trying to save the planet (Love you, Historic Ritchie!).

So, with a sister who regularly falls trees during the off-season (that’s the winter season when she’s not fighting forest fires – you can thank her in the comments section below!), it only makes sense to ask her to fall a few more during her actually days off (love you, sis!). Look, I know nothing about chain saws or protective wear, but what I do know is that you want someone who does know. And my badass sister is that someone!

We worked through our post-Thanksgiving food hangovers with some strong coffee and egg benedicts (Jodi for the culinary win!). Then, we schlepped over to 23 Magnolia with our chainsaws and protective wear to down a few 60-70 foot firs and cedars blocking our sunshine and future deck space. It’s hard to find the words to describe the magnitude of watching a massive tree fall. And I wish I could convey the enormity of the sound they make as they come down. I think the best way to share this experience is to see it.

Therefore, I give you my sis, the badass, falling trees: